Automatic fire-protection door or screen



Aug. 28, 192& 1,682,634

. J. scHwAB AU'I'OIATIC FIRE PROTECTION DOOR 0R SCREEN Filed June 26, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 28, 1928.

1,682,634 J. SCHWAB AUTOMATIC FIRE PROTECTION DOOR OR SCREEN Filed. June 26, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 All. 28, 1928. 1,682,634 J. SCHWAB AUTOIATIC FIRE PRCTECTION DOOR OR SCREEN m June 26. 1926 3 w v3 0; 1 F 'x m 4% Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,682,634 PATENT OFFICE.

IULES scnwan, r PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T0 SOCIETE THERMOSONUS, 0F PARIS,

ERANCE.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-PROTECTION DOOR 0R SCREEN.

Application filed June 26, 1926, Serial No. 118,888, and in France June 29, 1925.

This invention relates to automatic fire protection doors or screens. Heretoforc, arrangements of this character have depended upon the melting of a fusible connection for the initiation of the closing operation intended for giving a protection against the spread of fire. Such arrangements have the drawback of delayed or tardy action, so that there is risk of the fire spreading due to the fact that the flame may have passed through the opening before the closing of the door orscreen.

The principal object of this invention is to remedy this defect and to provide an automatic release depending upon the action of a dilatable or expansible medium contained in a chamber liable to deformation under the dilation or expansion of the contained medium. A further object is to provide a declutching mechanism adapted for being released by the deformation aforesaid and thereby permitting the door or screen to close automatically, either under its own Weight or under the influence of means constantly tending to move such door or screen to the closed osition.

'Anot er object of the invention is to provide means for the avoidance of any likelihood of a false operation at the wrong time due to a slow rise in temperature, this object being attained by providing the chamber with a small aperture through which leakage is permitted when expansion occurs due to such slow rise of temperature,

Other objects of the invention are to provide a combination of the expansion chamber control with the fusible connection control, and to provide indicating means in connection with the said controls.

These and other objeots are hereinafter fully described and explained with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a complete automatic installation of fire protection door with expansible chamber control.

Figure 2 is a view of a modification according to which the expansible chamber operates through the medium of a ball device.

Figure 3 is a view of an indicator device adapted for operating in conjunction with the mechanisms of this invention.

55 Figure 4 is a. view illustrating the comof a link 21, the other end of the latter being connected to one arm of a lever 22. As will appear, this lever system in the normal position in which it is shown, constitutes a locking means for preventing the door or screen 1 from moving. down the inclined rail 3 to the closed position 4. The door 1 is suspended anti-frictionally by the rollers 2 running upon the rail 3. It is to be understood, however, that any other arrangement of self-closing door may be adopted, as for example one in which the door or screen descends vertically or in which the door is operated to move to the closed position by a weight or other agency constantly active upon it.

In the example illustrated, the door is connected by a cable 6 with a link or shackle 7, and the latter in the open condition of the door is engaged with a hook 36 pivoted at 37. The pull in the cable 6 tends to throw the book 36 over in the direction of the arrow 42, but this is prevented by the stop lever-'32 pivoted at 33. The lever 32 itself is held from turning by a lever 28 whichis engaged by a catch or finger on the lever 22 aforesaid.

In the event of a sharp rise in temperature, such as caused by a fire in the building, the air or gas within the chamber 15 expands quickly so that before any appreciable escape can take place through the small aperture 16 a pressure develops within the chamber 15 and the deformable wall or diaphragm 17 thereof is deformed or dilated in the outward direction thereby forcing the lever 19 outwardly. The lever v19 thus, pulls the link, 21. The engagement of the link 21 with the lever 22 causes the latter to be turned in the direction of the arrow 41 which isthedirection for releasing its finger or catch from the lever 28,

The hook 36 is now free to turn in the direction of the arrow 42 under the pull of the able. as the lever 33 is no longer stopped by the lever 28 which has been released from the finger of the lever 22. Thus, the link or shackle 7 frees itself by sliding off the hook 216 and the door 1 being no longer held runs freely down to the closed position.

The hook 36 is weighted in such a manner that when it has released the link or shackle 7 and is free from the pull of the cable 6, it returns automatically to the set position seen in Figure 1. Also, the levers 32, 28 and 22 are influenced by springs 34, 30 and 25 in such a manner that they also return automati sally to the set position illustrated after the release of the door. Therefore, when the alarm or the fire is over it is only neces sary to open the door and re-eugage the link or shackle 7 with the hook 236 in order that the mechanism may be ready for a fresh operation. I

It is apparent that it is possible to devise other mechanical combinations destined to produce the closing of the screen or door 1 when the wall or diaphragm 17 is displaced. All such variants should be considered as falling within the scope of the present invention. I

Another variantis represented by way of example in Figure 2.

In this figure, a plate 53, provided with a hole 54; displaces itself before an orifice 51 under the action of the membrane 17. A ball placed in the orifice 54 falls in the chimney 50 when that orifice coincides with 51. This ball causes the lever 56 to swing and, consequently, to actuate the declutching u'iechanism alr ady described which liberates the link or shackle 7.

With this arrangement it is possible to combine an indicator device. For this purpose, one extremity of the lever 56 carries a bevel which guides the ball towards a system of two levers in V-disposition, 68 and 69. At the extremities of the two levers are fixed indicators 66 and 67 which are displaced before a window 73. The ball in falling causes the indicator 67 to be eifaced and replaces it by the indicator 66, and this gives indication to the staff that the apparatus has functioned and that the ball should be put back in place. An opening 7st permits of recovering the ball and of restoring the indicator to its initial position.

In Figure 3 there is shown a locking arrangementfor this indicator. A lever oscillating at 86 and pressed by a spring against the ball 55 at its position of repose actuates, by a rod, a bolt 90. When the ball 55 falls in the chimney 50, the lever 85 swings, the system takes the position in dotted lines. and the bolt 90 comes into a position such that it locks the lever device (38, 69 before the window 73,

Finally, there is represented in Figure 4 a variant in which there is combined the old system employing the fusible connector and the new system employing the expansion chamber. For this purpose, the door is maintained on the one hand by a cable (3 and a counterweight 5 (one or several fusible connectors S, 9 being inserted in the cable 6) and, on the other hand, by a. cable 110 influenced by a small counterweight 93 above which is a large weight 9-l. In normal times, the weight 94. exercises no pull upon the cable because it is maintained elevated by the linger or catch device 95.

The finger or catch device is actuated by a release arrangement analogous to that represented in Figure 2 and controlled by an expansion chamber. The weight of the mass 5 is superior to that of the mass 93 but inferior to that of the masses 9i) and 94 together. If the fire melts one or several of the fusible connectors, the screen or the door 1 descends under the combined action of its own weight and of the counterweight 93.

If, on the contrary, the fusible connectors 8 and 9 do not function immediately, the spring finger 95 is liberated by the action of the expansion chamber 15, the weight 94: operates upon a cable and brings the door to its closed position.

The alarm or the fire being over, it is sufficient to raise the weight 94 above the finger 95 and eventually to replace the fusible connectors so that the arrangement may be ready for a new operation.

I claim 1. Arrangement for the automatic control of fire protection closure devices. comprising in combination, a fluid-containing expansible chamber, a lever mechanism directly actuated by the expansion of said chamber, a self setting detent mechanism normally operative for retaining the closure device in its open position and normally locked by said lever mechanism, said lever mechanism arranged to move the detent mechanism and to free the closure device for self-closure when the expansible chamber is deformed by a suddencxpansion due to a sharp rise of temperature.

2. Arrangement for the automatic control of fire closure devices comprising in combination, a fluid-containing expansiblc chamber, a lever mechanism directly actuated by the movement of the said chamber when expanding, a self setting detent mechanism normally operative for retaining the closure device in its open position and normally locked by the lever mechanism, setting springs urging said mechanisms into their normal positions, a pivotal hook normally held in position controlled by gravity and by the detent mechanism, a cable hooked on said hook, urging the same to rotate in a direction such as will cause it to be unhooked and holding the closure device in its open position, said lever mechanism arranged to move the detent mechanism and thereby free the hook and to release the closure device when the expansible chamber is subjected to a sharp rise of temperature.

3. Arrangement for the automatic control of fire protection closure devices comprising in combination a fiuid containing chamber formed with a small hole for the escape of fluid in the case of slow expansion due to slow elevation of temperature and comprising a deformable wall element, a mechanism constantly tending to close said closure, a detent mechanism normally operative for retaining said closure in the open condition, locking mechanism normally locking said detent mechanism, and mechanism under control of said deformable wall and comprising aplate pierced with a hole and a ball. the said plate being movable by said Wall element for releasing said ball and the latter being disposed so as to fall upon said locking mechanism to release it and permit the detent to free the closure substantially as set forth.

4. Arrangement for the automatic cont-rel of automatically closable fire protection closure devices comprising in combination a fluid-containing chamber formed with a small hole for the escape of fluid in the case of slow expansion due to slow elevation of temperature. and comprising a deformable wall element, a detent mechanism normally operative for retaining said closure in the open condition. locking mechanism normally locking said detent mechanism, indicator mechanism, a transmission in connection with said deformable wall said transmission being operative for releasing said locking mechanism and means controlled by said transmission and arranged to control said indicator mechanism when said wall element is deformed by a sharp rise of temperature substantially as set forth.

5. Arrangement for the automatic control of fire protection closures comprising in combination a fluid-containing chamber formed with a small hole for the escape of fluid in the cas of slow expansion due to a slow rise in ten'iperati'ire and comprising a deformable wall element, a counterweight mechanism and a fusible connector normally operative for retaining said closure in the open condition, a heavy weight device constantly tending to close said closure, a catch device normally restraining this latter weight from action, and a mechanical con trol in operative connection with the deformable wall element and adapted for liberating the catch whereby the weight is freed for closing said closure in the event of the fusible connector failing to melt in proper time.

6. Arrangement for the automatic control of fire protection closures, comprising in combination a fluid-containing expansible chamber, a counterweight mechanism and a fusible connector normally operative for retaining: the closure in open condition, a comparatively small weight constantly tending to close said closure, a comparatively heavy weight adapted to fall on the small weight and to increase the closing; action thereof, a catch device normally restraining the heavy weight from moving, and a mechanical control in operative connection with the expansible chamber and to free the catch, whereby the heavy and the small weights are allowed to simultaneously close the closure in the event of the fusible connector failing to melt in propertime.

J ULES SOHWAB. 

